Microchip storage tape and cover therefor

ABSTRACT

A tape has a plurality of pockets longitudinally spaced with transverse bridges for carrying electronic microchips. Each pocket has a bottom wall having ridges surrounding the center of the pocket. The ridges engage the microchip to center the microchip within the recess and space leads connected to the microchip from the side walls and end walls of the pocket. Support members extending angularly between the ridge ends are adapted to elevate the microchip above the bottom wall of the pocket and space the leads from the bottom wall. A cover is releasably attached to side flanges and bridges of the tape to close the top of the pockets and retain the positions of the microchips in the pockets. A hole in the bottom wall of the tape allows optical readings to verify the position of the microchip. A heat sealing apparatus has movable shoes with ribs and heaters to heat seal side edges of the cover to the side flanges of the tape and middle portions of the cover to the bridges.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates to tapes having pockets for accommodatingelectronic components, such as microchips. The tapes have ridges thatposition the electronic components within the pockets. Covers attachedto the tapes confine the electronic components to the pockets.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Electronic components have been packaged in carrier tapes provided withcavities for receiving the components and covered with foil. G. J.Scholten et al. in U.S. Pat. No. 4,712,675 discloses an example of acarrier tape having cavities for accommodating electronic components. Acovering tape secured to the carrier tape encloses the electroniccomponents within the cavities. The covering tape is a hot-adhesivematerial that is welded by heat to the opposite edges of the carriertape. Additional tapes for storing electronic components are disclosedby J. F. Ball in U.S. Pat. No. 4,781,953 and J. H. Thomson et al. inU.S. Pat. No. 5,076,427.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The invention is directed to a carrier tape and cover adapted to carryone or more electronic components, such as microchips, so as to preventdamage to the microchips and the leads thereon and limit movements toand orientation of the microchips relative to the carrier tape. Thecover is joined to the top of the carrier tape that cooperates withsupport members on the carrier tape to minimize movements of theelectronic components within pockets relative to the tape. The carriertape and cover are flexible to allow the tape and cover to be wound on areel for storage and transport to an assembly site.

The tape is an elongated strip member having a plurality of generallyrectangular laterally spaced pockets for accommodating microchips havingprojecting leads. The pockets are separated from each other along thelength of the tape with transverse bridges. The bridges and upright endwalls forming the pockets are joined to longitudinal side flanges. Alongitudinal row of holes in each flange or in either flange cooperateswith drive sprockets to move the tape during microchip loading andunloading procedures. Each pocket has an open top, side walls and endwalls joined to a bottom wall. The bottom wall has a pair of upwardlydirected inverted V-shaped first ridges that extend parallel to the sidewalls of the recess. A pair of upwardly directed inverted V-shapedsecond ridges are located outwardly from and are centered between thefirst ridges. The second ridges extend parallel to the end walls of therecess. The first and second ridges are engageable with the microchip toretain the microchip within the center portion of the recess. Thisspaces the leads of the microchip inwardly from the side walls and endwalls of the recess. The ridges have inner inclined surfaces that arecomplimentary to the outer surfaces of the microchip to facilitatepositioning of and to hold the microchip within the center portion ofthe pocket. Each ridge has upwardly and inwardly inclined ends that areangularly disposed relative to the longitudinal axis of the ridge. Theinclined ends of the ridges also facilitate placement of the microchipin the storage position within the pocket.

The carrier tape has a plurality of rectangular shaped support membersfor supporting the microchip in an elevated position in the pocket abovethe bottom wall. This spaces the leads of the microchip upwardly fromthe bottom wall of the pocket and the first and second ridges. Thesupport members extend angularly between adjacent ends of the first andsecond ridges. Each support member has a top wall located above thebottom wall of the pocket. The ridges have top edges that are locatedabove the top walls of the support members. When the microchip islocated in the storage position, the microchip is supported on thesupport portions of the ridges that extend above the support membersengaging the outer surfaces of the microchip to retain the microchipwithin the center portion of the pocket. The leads of the microchip donot engage any structure of the tape thereby protecting the leads fromdamage. A cover is a plastic sheet member secured to at least thebridges to close the top of the pockets to hold the microchips withinthe pockets during winding and unwinding of the tape on and off a reel.The cover can also be secured to one or both side flanges of the tape.An example of a tape reel is disclosed by D. B. Chenoweth in U.S. Pat.No. 4,726,534.

Linear continuous heat or pressure sensitive seals join opposite edgesof the sheet member to the side flanges of the tape. A single seal canbe used to join one edge of the sheet member to a side flange of thetape. A plurality of longitudinal heat seals join separate portions ofthe sheet member to the bridges to limit in and out movements of thesheet member thereby limiting movements of the microchips located in thepockets. These heat seals are located inwardly of the end ridges in thetape that positions the microchips in the pockets to ensure limitedmovements of the microchips in the pockets. The bottom wall of thepocket has a hole for detecting the presence of the microchip within thepocket. A light beam can be used to detect whether the pockets contain amicrochip before the cover is attached to the tape.

DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the tape accommodating microchips andthe cover secured to the top of the tape thereto;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged top plan view of a portion of the tape and coveras shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged sectional view taken along the line 3--3 of FIG.2;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged sectional view taken along the line 4--4 of FIG.2;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the heat sealing apparatus for securingthe cover sheet to the tape;

FIG. 6 is a top plan view of the heat sealing apparatus located abovethe tape and cover accommodating microchips;

FIG. 7 is a sectional view taken along the line 7--7 of FIG. 6;

FIG. 8 is a sectional view taken along the line 8--8 of FIG. 6; and

FIG. 9 is a sectional view similar to FIG. 8 with the heat sealing shoesin the release positions.

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, there is shown an elongated carrier tapeindicated generally at 10 for accommodating electronic parts, shown asmicrochips having outwardly directed leads. Tape 10 stores the microchipwhile preventing damage to the leads. Tape 10 is a plastic strip of PVCor poly styrene plastic formed with a plurality of generally rectangulardownwardly directed pockets 11 Other types of plastics can be used fortape 10. Each pocket 11 has upright side walls 12 and 13 joined to abottom wall 14. The center portion of bottom wall 14 has a hole 15. Thepockets 11 are completed with transverse walls 16 and 17. The bottomwall 14 has upwardly directed transverse ridges 18 and 19 that arejoined to generally horizontal shoulders 21. The shoulders are connectedto transverse ribs 22 and 23. The ridges and shoulder support structurefor microchip 24 is disclosed in applicant's co-pending application Ser.No. 726,748 filed Jul. 1, 1991, now U.S. Pat. No. 5,152,393,incorporated herein by reference.

As shown in FIG. 2, microchip 24 has a generally rectangular shape andis positioned within rectangular pocket 11. The outer sides of microchip24 have outwardly directed leads 26 that are spaced inwardly fromupright walls 12, 13, 16 and 17 and above the bottom wall 14 as shown inFIGS. 2 and 3. The corners of microchip 24 rest on shoulders 21 as seenin FIG. 3. Microchips having different shapes can be located in pocketsin the tape that conform with shapes of the microchips.

Returning to FIG. 1, tape 11 has a plurality of transverse cross membersor bridges 27 that space adjacent pockets 11 along the length of thetape. Bridges 27 have generally flat top surfaces that are coextensivewith the top surfaces of the side flanges 28 and 29 that extend alongopposite sides along the length of the tape. Side flanges 28 and 29 havea plurality of longitudinally spaced holes 31 and 32 adapted toaccommodate drive sprockets and other means used to move the taperelative to component loading and unloading equipment. Also, only one ofthe side flanges can be provided with longitudinally spaced holes.

A cover 33 made of static dissipative plastic sheet materials and a heator pressure sensitive coating is bonded to tape 10 to close pockets 11.As seen in FIGS. 1, 2 and 4, a plurality of longitudinally located heatseals 34, 35, 36 and 37 bond opposite edges of cover 33 to flanges 28and 29 and bridges 27 located between adjacent pockets 11. Heat seals 34and 37 are continuous longitudinal seals that bond the opposite sideedge portions adjacent outer edges of cover 33 to flanges 28 and 29. Asingle heat seal can be used to secure one edge portion of cover 33 to aside flange of tape 10. Heat seals 35 and 36 are linear longitudinalseals that bond middle central portions of cover 33 to top of bridges27. Seals 35 and 36 have at least opposite ends secured to the top ofbridges 27 above pocket side walls 16. Seals 35 and 36 are inward of theridges 18 and 19 in the bottom of pockets 11 Seal 35 is spaced inwardlyfrom edge seal 34. Seal 36 is spaced inwardly from edge seal 37. Theseals 35 and 36 are parallel to each other with adjacent seals beinglaterally spaced from each other. The distances between seals 35 and 36can vary with the size of tape 10 and cover 33. Seals 35 and 36 extendedalong longitudinal lines that cross over the microchips in pockets 11.As shown in FIG. 3, cover 33 has minimum clearance space with respect tothe top of microchips 24 to prevent escape of microchips 24 fromalignment ridges 18, 19, 22 and 23. Heat seals 35 and 36 minimizeflexing and in and out movements of cover 33 over pockets 11 therebycontrolling the movement of microchip 24 relative to support shoulders21 and alignment ribs 18, 19, 22 and 23. The confinement of microchip 24within pocket 11 minimizes damage to the chip leads and improves theintegrity of the position of microchip 24 in tape 10.

Referring to FIGS. 5, 6 and 7, heat sealing apparatus 38 has a generallyU-shaped frame indicated generally at 39 mounted on a support (notshown). Frame 39 has a plurality of upright side plates 41 and 42secured to the rear cross bars 43 and 44. A pair of upright posts 46 and47 are located adjacent the inside surfaces of side plates 41 and 42. Asseen in FIG. 7, a pair of bolts 48 and 49 extend through a transversehorizontal slot 51 in rear bar 43 secures posts 46 and 47 to bar 43. Apair of bolts 52 and 53 extend through a horizontal transverse slot 54in bar 44 secures the posts 46 and 47 to bar 44. Bolts 48, 49 and 52, 53can be released to allow posts 46 and 47 to be laterally moved relativeto each other whereby the heat sealing apparatus can accommodatedifferent sizes of sheet materials used to cover the pockets on acarrier tape. In other words, heat seal apparatus 38 is adjustable toaccommodate different sizes of tapes and cover sheets therefore.

A pair of adjusting screws 56 and 57 rotatably mounted on plate 41cooperate with threaded members associated with posts 46 and 47 tolaterally adjust the posts 46 and 47 relative to each other. Referringto FIGS. 5, 6 and 7, a first arm 59 is connected with pivot member 61 tothe bottom of post 46. A second arm 62 is connected to the bottom ofpost 47 with a pivot member 63. Springs 64 and 66 biased arms 59 and 62in a downward direction. Pivotal movements of the arms 59 and 62 arecontrolled by air cylinders 67 and 71 respectively. Air cylinder 67 isconnected with a pivot member 68 to the top of post 46 and a pivotmember 69 to the outer end of arm 59. Air cylinder 71 is connected witha pivot member 72 to the top of post 47 and a pivot member 73 to theouter end of arm 62. Air cylinders 67 and 71 operate to pivot arms 59and 62 between up release positions and down or sealing positions.

A generally rectangular shoe 74 is secured to the lower portion of arm59. Shoe 74 is a two piece metal structure having a pair of laterallyspaced longitudinal ribs 76 and 77 that project in a downward direction.A heater 78 extends longitudinally in shoe 74. A second shoe 79 issecured to arm 62. Shoe 79 is a two piece metal structure having a pairof longitudinal laterally spaced ribs 81 and 82. Shoe 79 also supports alongitudinal heater 83. Heaters 78 and 83 are electric operated heatingmembers that are used to supply heat energy to the metal of shoes 74 and79 and maintain ribs 76, 77 and 81, 82 at selected solid heat sealingtemperatures. Shoes 74 and 79 are heat conducting metal members orblocks that serve as heat sinks for the heat energy generated by heaters78 and 83. The temperature of ribs 76, 77 and 81, 82 is maintainedwithin a selected range sufficient to establish thermo plastic bondingtemperature which secures plastic sheet material 33 to the plasticmaterial of tape 10. Air cylinders 67 and 71 exert downwardly directedpressure on shoes 74 and 79 so that the combined pressure and heateffectively bonds sheet member 33 along ribs 76, 77, 81 and 82 to thethermo plastic material of tape 10. The tape 10 rests on a support (notshown) located below shoes 74 and 79. As shown in FIG. 8, air cylinders67 and 71 have been extended to pivot arms 59 and 62 in a downwarddirection forcing ribs 76, 77 and 72, 81 in a downward direction intoengagement with sheet member 33. The heat dissipated from the ribs 76,77 and 72, 81 along with the pressure exerted downwardly through ribs76, 77, 82 and 81 onto sheet member 33 effectively bonds sheet memberalong the heat seal seams 34, 37 to side flanges 28 and 29 and the topof bridge 27. Seams 34 and 37 are continuous heat seals that joinopposite edges of sheet member 33 to the top of side flanges 2 and 29.As seen in FIGS. 8, inner ribs 77 and 82 are laterally inward from sideflanges 28 and 29 so that they effectively seal sheet member 33 to thetop of bridges 27. Linear portions of sheet member intermediate of edgeseals 34 and 37 are thereby sealed to the bridge 27. Seals 35 and 36 arelinear and longitudinal heat seals or seams bonding the plastic materialof sheet member 33 and tape 10 thereby preventing the middle portions ofsheet member 33 from moving relative to the bridges 27. This limits thefluttering or up and down movement of sheet member 33 relative to thepockets and thereby limit the movements of microchips in pockets 11 andmaintain the location of the microchips in the pockets.

In use, carrier tape 10 is sequentially moved along a support (notshown) during the loading of the microchips into the pockets. The coversheet member 33 is superimposed on top of the tape as seen in FIG. 6.The tape 10, along with cover sheet 33, moves along the support underheat sealing apparatus 38. Air cylinders 67 and 81 are sequentiallyoperated to move heat sealing shoes 74 and 79 into operative pressureengagement with cover sheet member 33. The concurrent pressure and heatof ribs 74, 76, 77 and 82 on sheet member 33 resting on the supporteffectively heat seals sheet member 33 along the seams 34-37 to tape 10.FIG. 8 shows air cylinders 67 and 71 in their retracted positionsholding shoes 74 and 79 in release and non-sealing positions to allowtape 10 and cover sheet member 33 to be moved to a second position. Thesealing and release positions of shoes 74 and 79 are repeated as tape 10sequentially moves under heat sealing apparatus 38.

While there has been shown and described a preferred embodiment of thetape with the cover and heat sealing apparatus, it is understood thatchanges, additions and alterations of the structures may be made bythose skilled in the art without departing from the invention. Theinvention is defined in the following claims.

We claim:
 1. A carrier tape and cover for accommodating the microchipshaving outwardly projecting leads comprising: an elongated plastic stripmeans having a plurality of pockets for storing the microchips, thestrip means having bottom walls, top walls having open tops, side wallsand end walls, said side walls and end walls being joined to said bottomwalls forming said pockets, transverse bridges separating adjacentpockets, each bottom wall having first means engageable with themicrochip to retain the microchip within a center portion of the pocketthereby spacing the leads of the microchip inwardly from the side wallsand end walls, said first means comprising a plurality of membersprojected upwardly from said bottom wall, each of said members having anopposite end, said opposite ends of adjacent members being spaced fromeach other, and second means connected to the first means for supportingthe microchip in an elevated position above the bottom wall whereby theleads of the microchip are spaced above the bottom wall and extendoutwardly of the first means, said second means comprising a pluralityof supports for the microchip joined to adjacent opposite ends of saidmembers, each support having a top wall located in a plane above thebottom wall, and said members having top edges located in a plane abovesaid top wall thereby holding the microchip in an elevated positionabove the bottom wall with the leads of the microchip spaced inwardlyfrom the side walls and end walls of the strip means, plastic covermeans located over the top wall closing the open tops of the pockets,and means securing the cover means to the top wall and bridges to limitmovements of the microchips within said pockets.
 2. The carrier tape andcover of claim 1 wherein: the members are elongated linear ridges, eachof said ridges having an inverted generally V-shaped cross section withtop edges located in a horizontal plane, said top wall of each supporthaving a generally flat horizontal surface located in a horizontal planebelow the horizontal plane of the top edges for accommodating a portionof said microchip, said cover means retaining the microchip adjacentsaid ridges.
 3. The carrier tape and cover of claim 2 wherein: eachridge has an inner inclined surface complimentary to an outer surface ofthe microchip.
 4. The carrier tape and cover of claim 1 wherein: themeans securing the cover means to the top wall and bridges comprisinglinear longitudinal first heat seals along opposite edges of the covermeans to secure the cover means to the top wall and linear longitudinalsecond heat seals along middle portions of the cover means securing thecover means to the bridges.
 5. The carrier tape and cover of claim 4wherein: the first and second heat seals are generally parallel to eachother.
 6. The carrier tape and cover for accommodating microchips havingprojecting leads comprising: an elongated strip member having aplurality of laterally spaced pockets for accommodating microchips, saidmember having a top wall and transverse bridges between adjacentpockets, said top wall having openings into the pockets, said memberhaving side walls, end walls, bottom walls forming each pockets, eachbottom wall having first ridge means extending parallel to the sidewalls and second ridge means extending parallel to the end walls, thefirst ridge means located outwardly from the second ridge means, thefirst and second ridge means engageable with the microchip to retain themicrochip within a center portion of the pockets thereby spacing theleads of the microchip inwardly from the side walls and end walls,support means extending between the first and second ridge means forsupporting the microchip in an elevated position above the bottom wallwhereby the leads of the microchip are spaced upwardly from the bottomwall and the first and second ridge means, cover means located over thetop wall closing the openings therein, and means securing the covermeans to the top wall and bridges to limit movements of the microchipswithin said pockets.
 7. The carrier tape and cover of claim 6 wherein:the first ridge means comprise a pair of upwardly directed invertedV-shaped first ridges, the second ridge means comprising a pair ofupwardly directed inverted V-shaped second ridges.
 8. The carrier tapeand cover of claim 7 wherein: the first ridges are centered between thesecond ridges.
 9. The carrier tape and cover of claim 7 wherein: eachfirst ridge and second ridge has an inner inclined surface complimentaryto an outer surface of the microchip.
 10. The carrier tape and cover ofclaim 6 wherein: the support members extend angularly between ends ofthe first ridge means and ends of the second ridge means.
 11. Thecarrier tape and cover of claim 6 wherein: the means securing the covermeans to the top wall and bridges comprising linear longitudinal firstheat seals along at least one of the edges of the cover means to securethe cover means to the top wall and linear longitudinal second heatseals along middle portions of the cover means securing the cover meansto the bridges.
 12. The carrier tape and cover of claim 11 wherein: thefirst and second heat seals are generally parallel to each other.
 13. Acarrier tape and cover for accommodating electronic componentscomprising: an elongated strip member having a plurality of pockets foraccommodating electronic components, said member having a top wall withside flanges and transverse bridges between adjacent pockets, said topwall having openings open to said pockets, said member including bottomwalls for said pockets, said bottom walls having means engageable withthe electronic components to retain the electronic components within thepockets, cover means located over the top wall closing the openingstherein, and means securing the cover means to at least one side flangeof the top wall and bridges to limit movements of the electroniccomponents within said pockets, said means securing the cover means toat least one side flange of the top wall and bridges comprising a firstheat seal along an edge of the cover means to secure the cover means tothe side flange, and second heat seals in middle portions of the covermeans to secure the cover means to the bridges.
 14. The carrier tape andcover of claim 13 wherein: the first and second heat seals are generallyparallel to each other.
 15. The carrier tape and cover of claim 13wherein: the means engageable with the electronic components includingfirst means for laterally locating the electronic components in saidpockets, said first means having ends, and second means connected to thefirst means and extended angularly between ends of the first means forsupporting the electronic components in elevated positions above thebottom walls.
 16. A carrier tape and cover for accommodating electroniccomponents comprising: an elongated strip member having a plurality ofpockets for accommodating electronic components, said member having atop wall with side flanges and transverse bridges between adjacentpockets, said top wall having openings open to said pockets, said memberincluding bottom walls for said pockets, said bottom walls having meansengageable with the electronic components to retain the electroniccomponents to retain the electric components within the pockets, covermeans located over the top wall closing the openings therein, and meanssecuring the cover means to both of said side flanges of the top walland bridges to limit movements of the electronic components within saidpockets, said means securing the cover means to both side flanges of thetop wall and bridges comprising first heat seal means along oppositesides of the cover means to secure the cover means to both side flanges,and second heat seal means in the middle portions of the cover means tosecure the cover means to the bridges.
 17. The carrier tape and cover ofclaim 16 wherein: the first and second heat seals are generally parallelto each other.